System of lubrication



SYSTEM OF LUBRCATION Filed April 2, 195o Patented Mar. `1, 1932V i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VILLOR I. WILLIAMS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO ESTELLE P. WILLIAMS, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND ksYs'rEiir or LUBRicA'rioN Appiicaaon med Aprii 2, 1930. seriai No. 441,145.

My present invention, in its broad aspect, templates a central reservoir, lubrication has reference to improvements in force feed channels from the reservoir generally followlubrication of rapidly moving or rotating ing adirection radially of the direction of parts, such for instance astlie coupling elemovement of the parts to be lubricated, and

5 ments of connected shafts; plate couplings; a distributing channel coincident with the ro- 55 universal joint elements; pin and disk transtational direction, namely, a circular distribmission elements, and the like. lMy present uting channel. The advantages of such asysdevice relates to the subject matter of mycotem of lubrication may be brieiiy defined as pending application Serial yt-441,146, filed follows: first, grease cups, pumps, and the if, April 211d51930up0'n univergaljoints. 'More like are eliminated; second, the lubricating o particularly it is my purpose to provide means material or substance is positively fed to the whereby concealed parts, difiicult to properly parts by centrifugal force; third, there are lubricate, and subject-to high friction, may no pipe lines or the like to become broken; be kept properly lubricated without the use fourth, entrance of dust and the like to the 1;, of pumps, splash lubrication, grease cups, or Ypath of flow of the lubricant is impossible 65 the like, and wherein the lubricating sub- Vsince the lubricant itself is at no time carried stance isY carried to the parts to be lubricated -i-n apath outside the mechanism to be lubrilby centrifugal force. cated; fifth, space, material and cost is re- It has been found by experiment that holduced, and the parts lubricated more effi- [OW Shafting when properly made and prociently; and sixth, all of the elements used 70 portioned is as strong and has greater rigidin storing and carrying the lubricant are ity than a, Solid Shaft, One purpose ofmy formed in one and the same operation used invention is to utilize a cavityin a shaft for 4t0 fabricate the parts t0 be lubricated. thestorage of lubricating substance such as Manifestly such a system is subject to con oil or grease; or in. Cage '0f a Solid Shaft 0f siderable modification, especially with refer- 75 relatively appreciable diameter a part can be ence to the direction and number of lubrislghtly enlarged and hollowed out to serve eating channels, and the size, shape and as alubricant reservoir. In other words, the position of the reservoir, channels and the source of supply of the lubricant in my preslike; therefOre it is emphasized that the right Las) ent invention is carried within a cavity or to make such changes is-reserved provided 30 chamber formed in one of the usual parts of they fall lWithin the spirit of my invention the mechanism. y It vhas also been` found in as hereinafter described iii detail. practice that where several parts -of Va mech- In the drawings wherein my system of rlu anism have a different motion, those parts brication is shown in conJunction with the :3.3 are difficult to lubricate; for instance when parts of a universal joint S5 in a unit of mechanism there isa rotating Figure l is a View of the partsof a uniring coupling receiving pins or stub shafts of versa-l joint brokenaway to show the formaother element-s which rotate, while the pins tion 0f the rScITVOlI OI the lubricant, slightly oscillate and are whirled radially, it Figure 2 is a perspective view showing sz; is very diiiicult to cover all of these parts the ring and knuckle of a joint andthe sysi 90 with the necessary protectivefilm of oil or tem of lubrication; grease. Such a mechanism is bestillustrated Figure 3 is a face view of the ring, with bythe average universal joint., My inventhe knuckle in section to show the reservoir, tion contemplates receiving lubricant from and Y Y i the reservoir, passing it through lubricating Figure 4 is a view of the other knuckle o a5 channels formed in ythe elements themselves, fork, and then feeding the lubricant to the rubbing In the drawings wherein like characters parts by the force induced by the rotation of of reference are used throughout the several those partsthe centrifugal force. In pracviews to designate like or similar parts :n

' zu tice my system of lubricationitheiefor con- The two ends (l) and (2) of the shafts icc are joined by the elements (3) and (4) of a universal joint; these elements (3) and (4) resemble short or stub shafts and are parts of the knuckles of the joint carrying the pins.

The elements (3) and (4) carry at their ends opposed lateral pins and (6),. and (7 and (8) respectively, and the element (4) is curved inwardly or bifurcated at its end, as at to bridge or circlethe end of elemcnt (3) so that the pins(5), (6)-, (7) and (8) will be aligned radially from a common axis of rotation to be receivable within the ring (10) and each element (3) and (4) has a shoulder (4a) packed at (4b). The ring (10): is formed of two identical parts (16a) and (10b) held together by bolts or screws (11); passing through registering openings (12), and each half-ring (16a)` and (10h) hasfa semi-circular recess at each of its four quarters, so that when the half rings are put together to form the assembly 10) the four pins will be retained in the open-ings formed by the recesses with shoulders (4a) riding againsty the ring; each ring, furthermore, is enlarged at the four quarters to accommodate the recesses (13 rlhis completes the formation of the universal joint. The question solved by my present invention is that of lubricatinfr the. Working surfaces of the parts hereto ore described, and seepage of oil is prevented by the shoulders (4a).

In the ele-ment (3) I form a central cavity or chamber (14) which is restrictedtoward the neck of the knuckle or element as at (15),; the Walls of element (3) are of sufficient thickness so that the formation of the cavity in no way detracts from its strength trally bored as at (16) from a point short of the outer ends thereof to the cavity. The

i cavity is utilized as a reservoir for lubricant which is supplied through the opening (17), and either a grease cup (18) may be used, or the opening (17) may simply be plugged when the cavity is filled with lubricant. The grease cup (18) is not shown as being an essential to my invention, but merely to illustra-te a method of filling the cavity with lubricant. Y

It will be noticed that each pin has an annular groove (19) between its ends, but slightly nearer the outer end. Each halfring has formed on its inner face an annular groove (20), so that when the half-rings are placed together to form the ring assembly (10) the grooves form a continuous channel; which channel registers with the grooves (19) of the pins (5), (6), (7) and (8). The grooves in pins (5) and (6) communicate with the central bores (16) of the pins through ports (21) so that oil or other lubricant in the reservoir (14) or chamber passes outwardly through bores (16), through ports (21) into grooves (20) in pins (5) and (6), thence into the channel formed by grooves (20) in the half rings, whence the lubricant passes around the ring and into the grooves (20), of the other pins (7) and (8). The path ofY travel of the lubricant is such that it is distributed to all of the Working parts, and since the grooves (20') are intercepted by bolts for retaining the half rings together, a channel is provided to either side of each bolt as indicated at (22).

`When the joint is rotated centrifugal force g draws the lubricant from the reservoir, out through the pins 5) and and into the channel in the ring so that, the feed is forced and it' is impossibley for the working parts to become dry; they are kept, properly lubricated, and accumulation o-f dust and the like .on the parts will not clog' the channels or interfere with the distribution of the film of oil on the parts. There are no exposed parts, and theV oil cup can be dispensed with if desired. It is only necessary to lill the reservoir with oil at periods of several months 'or more. My device isr therefore automatic, simple in construction, and the channels may be formed in the parts when they are manu` factured without appreciably increased cost.

From the foregoing it is believed that the operation of my system of lubrication, and the construction of itsy parts Wil-lbe readily understood, but emphasis is again laid upon the fact that the reservoir is formed by a cavity or chamber in the apparatus to be lubricated, and all of the channels for distributing the lubricant are formed directly in the parts without use of pipes or the like, and that the flow is maintained by centrifugal force.. While. the combination and arrangement of parts heretofore described constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, it

"is desired to again point out that the scope of the invention should only be determined by the claims appended hereunto.

I claim 1. A lubricating device for universal joints, comprising a sealed reservoir for lubricant formed by cavitating the integral structure of a hub part of a joint, channels leading off to and from the reservoir in a radial diiection, and distributing channels forming a continuous path between the radial channels so that the oilflows continuously to and from the reservoir.

2'. A lubricating device for universal joints, comprising a reservoir formed by cavitating one of the integral parts of the joint located substantially at the axis of rotation of the joint, and lead-off channels from the reservoir communicating with a continuous channel for distributing theV lubricant to the Working parts, the flow in said channels being maintained by centrifugal force.

3. A lubricating device for universal joints, comprising a single sealed reservoir formed by cavitating one of the integral parts of one of the hub elements of the joint located near the axis of rotation of the joint, a distributing channel in Va part of the joint removed irom the axis of rotation, and a plurality of lead-oit channels from the reservoir to the distributing channel; the flow in said lead-off channels and said distributing channel being maintained by centrifugal force.

il. A lubricating device for universal joints, comprising a sealed reservoir formed by cavitating the integral structure of a hub part of the joint, channels in the joint leading too and from the reservoir in a radial direction, and annular distributing means near a circumferential part of the joint and forming a continuous path between the radial channels so that the lubricant flows continuously by centrifugal force to and from the reservoir.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature hereunto.

VILLOR I. WILLIAMS. 

